Pierre Agnès (1898 - 1964)

Pierre Agnès was born into a family of craftsmen in Maisons-Laffitte. His father was a wrought-iron worker. In 1915, Pierre entered the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, where he achieved outstanding marks. But the First World War disrupted his plans. He enlisted as a volunteer in 1916 and was demobilized in September 1919. Drawing stayed with him for three years, and he returned with many sketches from the trenches. He resumed the course of his life, working as a draughtsman and decorator in and around Paris. Alongside his work as a decorator, Pierre Agnès continues to exhibit his work at the Salon des Beaux-Arts and the Salon des Indépendants.

Pierre Agnès loves to paint his loved ones in scenes of everyday life, or enjoying Sunday strolls along villages along the Seine or the Oise. But his place of inspiration and predilection remains Brittany, from where Pierre Agnès brings back small studies sketched as the days go by. This material fed into his studio work during the winter, in preparation for future exhibitions. They stay in Camaret, Argol, Loctudy, Le Pouldu, Concarneau, Plougastel, Quimperlé... He's a lover of sunken lanes and ocean views. He has endeavored to capture the world of seafaring workers, as well as the festivals and markets he passes through. A witness to the Brittany of the thirties, he magnifies the effects of light, sometimes soft, sometimes contrasting. He was part of the modern movement that emerged between the wars, known as “the painters of light”.

Pierre Agnès died on December 20, 1964, leaving behind over six hundred works: oils, watercolors, pastels and engravings. Proof that this passion followed him all his life. His studio was dispersed on June 7, 2025 under the hammer of Maître Ruellan in Vannes.